PLAINFIELD — State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) issued the following statement in response to the Illinois General Assembly Retirement System (GARS) board voting to suspend former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s $28,000 pension from his time as a state lawmaker:

“I applaud the board’s decision. I’m glad the General Assembly Retirement Board made the right decision. Hastert is a child predator who should not get public pensions. The taxpayers should not have to pay for his retirement.”

The board’s decision affirmed an initial decision made by GARS staff to suspend Hastert’s pension.

Bertino-Tarrant has actively pushed for Hastert’s public pensions to be revoked.

Bertino-Tarrant sent a letter to GARS asking that it immediately take steps to suspend Hastert’s public pension benefits. The senator also filed legislation that would have allowed for Hastert’s state lawmaker pension to be taken away.

Additionally, Bertino-Tarrant is the lead Senate sponsor of HB 1127, which would remove legal deadlines for prosecuting criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse of a child. Hastert cannot face charges for the sexual abuse he admitted to because the statute of limitations for those offenses had expired.